The present invention relates generally to an improved cap structure, and more particularly to an improved sun guard cap having a typical baseball cap configuration, and with one cap being adapted to accommodate a variety of size heads.
The cap structure of the present invention is further provided with ear shields or wings which extend outward from the crown over the ears of the wearer at an angle to provide shading from the direct rays of the sun. The cap may be constructed in typical fashion with cloth panels or gores. If desired, the cap may have a number of axially stretchable gores to enhance the comfort of the cap and avoid a tight-fitting structure. The rear panel or gore of the crown may be cut out to form an air passage as well as an adjustable headband. The structure of the present invention permits shading not only the eyes, but also the ears from the direct rays of the sun in multi-size cap structures which are comfortable for the wearer, and with a size range of the cap being adaptable for use by all persons with heads within a number of usual sizes.
In the past, attempts have been made to provide a wide variety of multi-size cap structures of the baseball cap style, and such caps are in wide-spread use today. Typically, multi-size caps are created through the utilization of a variable-length snap arrangement which permits the user to adjust the cap size as required. Such caps, normally, do not include ear shields or wings. However, caps of the baseball cap type or style have been made wherein ear flaps when folded down over the wearer's ears provide an added degree of comfort to the wearer during unseasonable weather, including cold weather with precipitation in the form of either rain or snow. Such flaps may be folded over the crown and secured to expose the wearer's ears when desired in less cold weather. Such caps are frequently of the single or fixed size variety. See U.S. Pat. No. DES 301,282 to Satterfield, May 30, 1989. Further, cap constructions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,869,134, granted to Milstein Jan. 20, 1959, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,607, granted to Bregenzer Feb. 19, 1963. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 2,629,869 issued Mar. 3, 1953 to Locken discloses a sun visor to protect the eyes of the wearer, however, no protection for the ears of the wearer is disclosed.
The widespread appeal of caps of the baseball cap style is well known, however, such caps provide little, if any, protection to the wearer's ears from direct rays of the sun. Farmers outside during the heat of the day are quite susceptible to sunburned ears, yet the old straw hat leaves something to be desired. Hats with circular brims suffer from the wearer leaning back against a headrest or the like knocking the hat off. The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a cap with a visor of desired area and ear shields of desired area to protect, respectively, the eyes and ears of the wearer from the direct rays of the sun.
Unfortunately, caps such as the present invention with ear shields or wings to protect wearers (such as farmers) typically active in the summer sun have not been forthcoming.
It will be understood that caps of the baseball cap style are marketed in a variety of ways. These caps are marketed through conventional retail outlets, and have also found a substantial market as promotional items. In the marketing of outer wear products, it is, of course, more economical to provide such products with a minimal number of sizes. Thus, economy of numbers may be achieved through utilization of caps of the multi-size variety.
In addition to typical marketing, various types of business entities provide such promotional items to employees and/or customers, and in these instances, the outer surface of the crown at a point above the visor may carry an emblem, or other indicia identifying the business entity. Because of the manner in which these products are marketed, it is, or course, desirable to utilize the products with minimal size variation requirements, hence the multi-size caps become extremely desirable for the customer.
As is conventional, baseball caps employ a crown portion to which a visor is secured to the forward edge of the crown and extends outwardly therefrom, however, these caps fail to provide sun protection for the wearer's ears.
In utilization of caps for outer wear, it is desirable for the forward portion to be somewhat rigid so that, for appearance purposes, the crown portion stands somewhat erect. Also, such an arrangement will normally provide a means for the visor portion to be rigid, durable, and extend generally forwardly of the wearer's forehead. Accordingly, the front gores or panels may be fitted and/or stiffened by suitable means in order to stand generally erect during wear.
Panels or gores forming the rear portion of the crown may be stretchable, a woven cloth normally being employed. Such cloth structures typically have a synthetic resin foam fiber forming the fabric layers. The weave of the fabric layers is such that the cloth is stretchable in the peripheral direction of the cap structure. In other words, the stretch occurs along the direction of the headband or edge-band of the cap. Such material is utilized in selected gores only of the multi-size cap structures and thereby assist in achieving an accommodation of wearers with heads of various sizes together with the fitted front portion. The combination of the rear crown portion fabricated with the stretchable fabric, and with the front portions being formed of non-stretchable, somewhat rigid fabric provides a desirable combination of properties for the cap. Further, such a structure permits the ear shields and visor to retain the selected angle for the desired shading of the eyes and ears from the direct rays of the sun while adjusting for the wearer's head size.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,007 to Lipkin, for the purposes of achieving substantially universal utilization with a single size cap structure, the material forming the gores for the rear crown portion is selected so that it is capable of a 20 percent stretch along one axial direction. Such materials are, of course, commercially available. For those instances when more than one size cap structure will be employed to accommodate all wearers, a uniaxial stretch of up to about 10 percent is normally found to be satisfactory.
As indicated, the forward portion of the cap will be provided with a visor or bill, with the visor normally being positioned above the eyes and forehead and with ear shields above ears of the wearer. The visor and ear shields may be of a material which is non-stretchable or non-elastic. Even considering the requirements of the presence of the visor or bill and ear shields, along with the adjacent portion of the crown being fabricated of non-stretch fabric, together with the constraint on the number of sizes to be stocked so as to accommodate wearers with heads of usual sizes, the cap structure of the present invention has been found to accommodate these desirable features.
Where maximum air circulation is desired, a loose weave crown may be used with a rear cut-away which is spanded along the headband line by a variable length tab which may include a snap arrangement or velcro for a closure.
The structure of the present invention permits a cap to be designed which is attractive in use, comfortable for the wearer, and further provides the advantageous feature of protection for the wearer's ears and eyes from the direct sun rays. Such cap designs are useful to individuals for a variety of outdoor purposes, including work purposes such as farming, as well as sport purposes, including such sports as hunting, fishing, golfing and the like.